Everything Has Its Place
by ErinM
Summary: Honestly, why are there so many forks! post-series


**Title:** Everything Has Its Place  
**Author:** Erin  
**Characters:** DG and Az  
**Rating:** G  
**Summary:** Honestly, why are there so many forks?!  
**Warning:** post-series  
**Disclaimer:** The original characters belongs to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors.

The dining room is brightly-lit. The large table already has a white tablecloth down and there are extravagant centerpieces evenly spaced along the table. Half of one side of the table has already been set and a three-shelved, wheeled cart - with all the necessary accoutrements for the place settings - sits almost mid-table.

The girl in the room has been here the last few hours, setting the table for the State dinner later this evening. She works in silence and with determination, evident by her precise attention to the little details. Stretching slightly, she moves to the next seat and reaches toward the cart, picking up one of the large dinner plates.

She sets the gold-rimmed plate down on the table, right in line with the elegant chair. Placing her pointer finger on the table – first knuckle on the edge - she pushes the plate to the edge, until the rim hits the tip of her finger.

Next, three ornately-designed forks – of various sizes – are pulled from a tray, which is sitting on the cart, between the stack of large plates and another of emerald green napkins. The largest fork goes down next to the plate. She knows that fish is on the menu this evening, and while the thought of that particular delicacy rather disgusts her, the small fish fork is set down next, just left of the first. The fork for the salad goes down last, farthest from the plate.

Her palm returns to the table and, now using the full length of her pointer finger, the three forks are aligned. She is thankful the table is not round, as that would make this form of measuring much more difficult. As she does this, she muses that there is plenty of room for a dessert fork and doesn't understand why it must come out with the dessert.

She returns to the tray of flatware and picks up two similarly-ornate knives; the larger knife sits just right of the plate – blade to the plate - and the smaller – again, for the fish – just to its right. Returning to the tray, she pulls out a spoon of the same design and places it next to the knife. As she did with the forks, her palm rests on the table and the utensils are lined-up with her fingertip.

She steps back a moment and looks down at her progress. Placing both palms on the table, she swears that the fingers on her right hand are actually longer than those on her right. Perhaps it is the light.

She turns to the cart holding the rack of utensils and bends down to the shelf below, where she finds the small plate for the bread, as well as the separate knife that accompanies the dish. She places the small plate above the forks then pushes it toward the larger plate and places the smaller knife across the plate, blade to the forks. She has no idea why that is the position for the plate; just that it is.

Honestly, it looks funny being off-center.

She turns back to the cart and reaches for two goblets, which are sitting on the shelf above the flatware and large plates. Both are placed above the knives, with one centered between the plate and the large knife, and the other between the smaller knife and the spoon. Giving this setting another look, she nods slightly that it is correct, save the napkin.

She turns toward the rack once more, reaching for one of the emerald napkins when she hears her sister ask: "You do realize that you're taking work away from folks who're being paid to do that, right?" She straightens, but does not turn, having sensed her sister's presence before hearing her speak. Folding the napkin in half, then in half again, she responds:

"I find it rather calming." Turning to face her sister – who is leaning against the door frame - she adds: "And they will be paid, regardless of who sets the table." Her sister pushes away from the opening and moves into the room.

"But, what if the highlight of their day was to line up those eighty useless knives and forks? They'll be so disappointed... They may lose sleep," she says with a silly grin.

DG steps up to her sister and nudges her shoulder, understanding her intentions completely. "Here," she says, picking up the napkin that Az has just set down on the large plate and beams.

"Let me show you a really cool way to fold a napkin."


End file.
